1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming a sealing member for a display apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus and method of forming a sealing member capable of enhancing a number of display panels.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to visually confirm information processed in an information-processing device, a display apparatus is used as an interface. Various display apparatuses, for example, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) display apparatus, a liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus, a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic electro-luminescence display (EL) apparatus and so on, may be used as the interface.
The LCD apparatus displays an image using various characteristics, for example, such as twist, spray, band, etc., of liquid crystal to which an electric field is applied.
The LCD apparatus includes a pair of substrates, electrodes, a liquid crystal layer and a sealing member. The electrodes are formed at the substrates facing each other, and each of the electrodes receives a different voltage from each other, thereby generating the electric field between the substrates. The liquid crystal layer and the sealing member are disposed between the substrates. The sealing member may maintain a gap between the substrates and prevent leakage of the liquid crystal.
In order to inject the liquid crystal into the gap between the substrates, the scaling member is partially opened, or remains in a closed loop configuration during injection of the liquid crystal. More specifically, when the LCD apparatus has the sealing member partially opened, the liquid crystal is injected into the gap between the substrates using a vacuum injection method. When the LCD apparatus has the sealing member in a closed loop configuration, the liquid crystal is provided between the substrates using a dropping method.
Since the vacuum injection method involves a complex process relative to that of the dropping method, the vacuum injection method has not been widely used.
However, when applying the dropping method, the sealing member may not be successively formed over a plurality of LCD apparatuses because the dropping method coats the sealing member having a band shape on the substrates in the closed loop configuration. Furthermore, it is difficult to make the closed loop configuration in which ends defining the closed loop accurately meet and to successively form additional closed loops.
As a result, the dropping method increases a processing time needed to manufacture a plurality of LCD apparatuses, thus lowering productivity. According, a method and apparatus to increase productivity by decreasing the processing time needed to manufacture a plurality of LCD apparatuses are desired.